CONVICTED Rappler chief executive officer Maria Ressa asked the Court of Appeals (CA) to allow her to travel to the United States. In a Very Urgent Motion for Permission to Travel Abroad, Ressa said she had to be in the US from August 1 to 31 for a series of commitments and to accept an award. She added that she was willing to post a travel bond of P100,000 and to notify the court of her return within 24 hours from arrival. In June this year, Manila Regional Trial Court Judge Rainelda Estacio-Montesa found Ressa and Rappler’s former researcher and writer Reynaldo Santos Jr. guilty of cyberlibel. Her conviction carries a penalty of imprisonment and a hold departure order, which limits her mobility to travel abroad.

Source: Manila Times August 18, 2020 16:53 UTC